6 Ways to Deal With Your Competition Skin

The process of competing is amazing and addictive for a lot of us competitors. It is also a pretty stressful time for the body and your skin. Your facial skin probably suffers the most since its also very delicate. Sweat, low carb days and stress that are part of the days prior to a show are the perfect environment for germs. Stress causes your body to produce cortisol and other hormones that communicate to your sebaceous glands to produce more oils – oils that can cause breakouts and other unwanted, not very chic reactions.

But relax, ( actually, this is the best thing you can do for your skin ! ) us girls are lucky enough to have a wonderful tool called make up that we can use to help ease the effects of competing and help us feel and look better.

Here are some ideas on how to deal with stress on your skin:

RELAX!This is by far the most important thing to do. We are all tired but at the same type extremely hype after a show. I know I am! It’s like all the hype that you felt on that peak week is over and you’re not too sure what to do with yourself on that post show day (…and…you’re not supposed to workout by the way!). Get a good night sleep. Make sure you drink plenty of water to help rehydrate the skin. Use techniques such as meditation, and if meditation is not for you, watch a good movie, google motivational videos, basically, keep doing what you were doing prior to your show to avoid stressing.

MAINTAIN HEALTHY EATING AND LIFESTYLE HABITS.I know it’s very tempting to eat all that food you couldn’t eat for weeks. But all this food within a very short amount of time is not only bad for the body you worked so hard for, but it’s very bad for your skin. Indulge yourself for a day or two, but don’t forget all your good healthy habits and incorporate some fruits loaded with Vitamin C like kiwis, oranges, grapefuit. Antioxidant drinks like green tea, even coffee in moderation, are also good to help keep your skin balanced. As for me, I do a big cheat meal right after the show, usually steak and tostonesI
I resume eating quality foods right after, only difference being that I incorporate food I usually wouldn’t during a strict prep, like fruits, nuts etc. Once you are used to eating healthy I personally miss those things even more than I miss pizza or ice cream! Include a minimum of outdoor activity. For example I love taking very long walks with my doggie the day right after the show. It forces me to disconnect from the rest and I use this time to visualize what just happened, to process it, and it gives me a lot of peace. It also helps your skin getting the oxygen it needs. Raising your heart makes your skin glow, so walk at different pace. Wherever you can go get fresh air, that’s where you need to go that day !

BE METICULOUS WITH YOUR SKINCARE WHILE KEEPING IT SIMPLE.Overuse of products is, in my opinion, the biggest mistake people make in their skincare regimens. Using a lot of different ingredients can be irritating, and some ingredients actually cancel out each other’s benefits. Plus your skin is under stress already, so leave the grandmas homemade recipes testing for another day and keep it simple! I use a simple cleanser that I let it sit on my skin for several seconds to make sure I break down all the makeup, dirt, and oil, and I then use a good moisturizer to increase my skin’s hydration. I find that toners tend to dry out my skin so I stay away from them. Plus, if you’re using a pH-balanced cleanser like I do, there’s no need for one really. Keep it simple and make sure you dry your skin properly after cleaning it before applying your moisturizer

GIVE YOUR SKIN A LITTLE “MAKEUP BREAK”…BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN NO MAKEUP AT ALL.To avoid break outs, give your skin a much deserved break! If possible, stay away from foundations that makes it harder for your skin to breathe and get that oxygen it needs to glow. Right after a show, you’re tired but your body looks amazing and you also have that glow from tanning still on. So I like to make the best of it and keep my make up very minimal because I figure people will be busy staring at my perfectly sculpted arms or legs! 🙂
I would typically use a tinted moisturizer and a BB cream or a liquid or powdered highlighter to make my skin look refreshed without having to work it up too much. Since I’m not using my usual full make up routine on these days by adding heavy foundations, I will make it a point to make my lips pop (this is where Fitlux beauty kicks in!).

MAKE YOUR LIPS A PRIORITYThere have been many studies suggesting that a woman’s lips are the most attractive part of her body, and the part that will get stared at more than anything. So get creative and find your personal ideal look! I always start with hydrating my lips because they need it just as much as the face does. Your lipstick, liner, or gloss will never hold nice and pretty if you don’t have perfectly hydrated lips prior to applying them. I use a neutral lip balm or a lightly tinted one (FitLux Lip Juice is amazing…soon to be released…shhh) and I then press a tissue very softly to absorb the exceed as it would make it difficult for me to apply the rest of the routine properly. I like to use a lip pencil because I feel it gives your lip gloss or lipstick something to adhere to but remember to never use a darker color than the color you will use on your lips. I personally am addicted to the Fierce lipsauce on days I don’t wear a lot of make up such as post competition days, because it really accentuates the tanning and gives me that bright, shiny look I really love when I feel a little tired. But I also like the Modest shade, that I mix with the sugar mama touch up stick for a more sophisticated look depending on what my day consists of. Exotic mixed with sugar mama is also amazingly sexy for a night out. The creamy texture of the lip sauce blend really well with the touch up stick and hold to perfection for hours without having to pay it no mind at all. I apply a few touches of the lipsauce I choose and I work it with a lip brush followed by the sugar mama touch up stick. A little bit of blush or bronzing powder et voila, you’re ready to go about your day looking fit and sexy ! If you have an eye shadow similar to the color you’re using on your lips, you can also apply a tiny amount and press it on your lips for a mat finish.

ALL EYES ON EYES….WITHOUT OVERDOING IT!If you’re like me and like to focus on lips, then you probably like your eye make up to stay as subtle as possible during the day, which is actually a lot more work then you think! I start with applying an eyeshadow base to make sure the eyeshadow will stay put all day. I then choose a soft, brownish tint slightly darker than my skin tone then I brush it into my crease and along the lower lashes. To brighten the look, I also apply a shimmery champagne color in the inner corner of my eyes and the center of my lids. I pick a darker brown that I apply very gently at the bottom of my lower lashes to create a deeper look and that’s about it for an every day look. I’m not found of lashes and I admit I’m lucky to have naturally long lashes that I accentuate with a touch of mascara but a quick application of lashes looks amazing with a very light make up in my opinion. It appears Fitlux is about to come up with some eye make up too so I will definitely stay tuned to see how I can mix my eyes to my lips with it!

A good skincare routine is a combination of healthy habits, common sense and simplicity. And like everything, it takes patience and consistency. So while we work on getting that flawless skin, we can always have the right make up tools to helps us feel absolutely fabulous, and to me feeling fabulous will always start with perfect lips and I’m not afraid to rock my lipstick even while working out or doing cardio as long as I know it will hold through the battle;)